Lick
by Luvergirl of Books
Summary: This is the one night where there are things everywhere going bump in the night...and no one knows as much as the one who feels the fear.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Some of you readers probably would have heard a different version of this tale already, because it's not exactly a secret. I just wanted to do a Halloween special when I say that this fit perfectly with Ranger's Apprentice.

Happy Halloween, everybody!

* * *

The little group of people laughed at something that was said about some random topic that they would never remember. Sometimes, idle conversation is what bonds friends together even closer than before. The cold wind howled and the full moon cast dappled shadows on the landscape of Whitby fief; but on this side of the walls of the cabin, the cheerful fire crackled merrily, dispelling any chill from outside.

Will took another sip from the mug he warmed his hands around. Looking out the window at the bleak night, he smiled softly, glad of the separating wall. Horace reached down and patted Ebony, who had just given a wide, splitting yawn. "Getting too late for you, Eb?" the young knight chuckled, ruffling the collie's fur. She simply thumped her tail and yawned again.

"I think it's about too late for all of us," Halt commented, setting his own mug down on the end table.

Will grinned. "Getting too old for staying-"

But before he could finish, a long, hard scraping sound was heard from directly behind Will. The young man jumped, startled, before turning sharply to look out the window. He turned back sheepishly, however, when he noticed the branch scratching against the unglazed glass.

Gilan very obviously hid a grin-something the others failed to do. "I've been meaning to trim that tree," he said innocently. "Keeps waking me up in the middle of the night."

"Yes, trim your trees, Gil," Horace said with mock exasperation, grinning widely. "We don't want the little boys frightened, now do we?"

Will rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

Taking this as the cue, Halt stood, stretching his back. "Where are we sleeping, Gilan?" he asked.

"You can take my room," he said to Halt, who nodded. "Horace and I can stay here in the living room." Looking to Will, he grinned and said, "You can go ahead and have the other bedroom, Will; we wouldn't want you to get scared by the tree here in the window."

Taking the jibe with a smile, Will shrugged and said, "I won't complain; I have nothing against sleeping in a bed."

They all laughed. "Don't worry," Horace comforted jokingly. "Ebony can keep you safe. She sleeps under your bed anyway-if you get scared, you can let her lick your hand. Then you'll be safe," he added with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Will laughed. "Of course she will." He reached down and ruffled his dog's fur. "Won't you, Eb?"

Ebony thumped her tail twice, and they said their good-nights.

* * *

The very first thing he heard when he woke was a creaking in the adjacent room.

Will started awake, doing his best not to bolt upright. The young Ranger felt his stomach twist in knots and his bladder tighten. The door coming off this bedroom led to the bathroom, and there was an unmistakable creak coming from the other side of that door.

But just as soon as it began, it stopped.

Silence.

Will's eyes roamed the bedroom, but there was nothing abnormal to see. Seconds ticked by, but there was nothing. Slowly, he draped his hand over the side of the bed for Ebony, and he felt the wetness of a warm lick over his fingers. He forced himself to calm down, and relaxed in his bed.

It wasn't until minutes later that the creaking came again.

And stopped.

Again.

The familiar tightening of muscles tensed Will's entire body, and he couldn't believe how badly he wanted to spring into action. But there was nothing, so he couldn't justify barging into the bathroom and maybe walking in on one of his friends in the process; because _that_ would have absolutely no good explanation.

Quietly, he reached his hand off the side of the bed and once again felt the warm lick. Funny how something so simple could be so comforting.

So when, minutes later, the creak was heard again, Will was more than ready to justify investigation.

As quiet as he could manage (which is quite quiet for a Ranger like himself) he edged himself off the mattress and stole across the room, making his way cautiously to the door. Just as Will reached for the knob…the noise stopped. Complete silence reigned. Steeling himself for the thing-or nothing-beyond, he turned the knob and thrust open the door.

The image is something he'll never forget.

There on the bathroom floor next to a trailing puddle of scarlet red, lied Ebony, prone on her side. And in the same scarlet red, in big block letters, was a message on the wall:

_PEOPLE CAN LICK, TOO_

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**A/N:** So, what did you think? Thought I've got this marked as complete, if I get reviews that ask for the resolution, I may continue for one more chapter tomorrow or the day after. But it all depends on you readers; please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Due to the fact that most of the reviewers wanted me to continue (and because I _really _wanted to) I have now made the finishing chapter.

On a different note, I was sad by the lack of Halloween fics in the RA archive...I had really been hoping to end my Halloween night off with some good ol' spooky and/or hilarious stories. I did get a few, though, and they were all great!

So, what happens next? Who made the...mess...in the bathroom? Who wrote the terrifying message on the wall? Who is Will going to find?

Who...or what?

* * *

Any sense of well-being was trampled, ripped apart, and burned at that point. Without any sense or remembrance of doing so, Will saw his hand on the knob and the bathroom door shut with a bang. He felt a single bead of cold sweat trickle down the nape of his neck, on which the tiny hairs stood on end.

He released the doorknob and looked at his hand. Ebony was on the other side of the wall, and the message was clear.

His hand had been licked. If not Ebony, then…?

Swallowing his panic that threatened to escape his throat in a rush, Will dashed to the bed—but the corner of the room, where he distinctly remembered setting his weapons, was tauntingly bare. He decided quickly that he would have to do without them, and rushed toward the living room. The others had to be warned.

But when he entered the den, he found no one.

Will had to force the panic down yet again. Forcing himself to get his priorities concise and straight, he went into the other bedroom, where Halt was staying.

Empty.

The blankets and sheets on the bed were disheveled, the bed itself slightly askew from normal. Halt's weapons were, like their owner, were nowhere to be seen.

Will couldn't silent the small sound of fear from the back of his throat…

The creaking came again.

This time, it was louder.

This time, Will knew that this proved nothing good for him.

He opened the bathroom door anyway.

The message on the wall was burned into the young Ranger's memory, and he didn't need to look at it again. The shining of the red letters mocked him with their words. He _didn't_, absolutely _didn't_ need to look at it again, but Will had a hard time shutting it out of his focus. One thing helped in this aspect, though.

On the floor, the mess was still there. But Ebony was gone.

Never before had Will felt such fear in his life. With window-rattling thuds, his heart pounded in his chest, and an iron hand gripped at his insides. Throwing caution to the wind—his stocking feet making barely a sound anyway—the young man sprinted for the door. Right now, it didn't matter where everyone was, or what was happening, he just needed to get _out of this house_. He ran like his life depended on it, grabbed the knob, threw the door open, sprinted off the veranda—

And felt a clutching hand claw at his ankle. He fell face-first to the dirt.

Before he had the chance to scramble to his feet, his eyes were drawn to the scene to his right. A giant figure covered in a dark cloak towered at least two and a half meters high. His hood shadowed his face and the hems of the cloak brushed the ground. And in front of the black-cloaked figure was Halt, grasping at the figure's forearm, with a look of utter terror in his eyes and a gleaming knife to his throat.

Will's former mentor regarded him with a grimace of horror and panic that froze Will's breath in his throat. From under the dark hood came a low, deep-throated chuckle, and Will let loose a small squeak of fear.

Halt started to laugh.

At once, the knife was sheathed as Halt stepped away, chuckling. Horace threw back the black cowl and jumped down from the crate on which he was standing, taking a seat on it and doubling over, guffawing; and Gilan crawled out from under the veranda, curling up on the ground and laughing perhaps even louder than the other three. "You…you should have seen your face!" Gil wheezed between breaths and laughter. "You looked ready to wet yourself!"

Will felt the blood rush to his cheeks as embarrassment colored his face. "That was a dirty trick, guys. That's not funny."

Up behind him came Ebony, licking her chops and thumping her tail against her master's leg. Sighing, Will reached down and rubbed her head, and the collie let her tongue droop. Horace, still grinning, said, "I think Eb did the best. Didn't you, Ebony? You've got a well-trained dog there, Will."

"Yeah, I got that."

Halt raised an eyebrow, his laughing fit (unlike Gil and Horace's) passed. "It is Halloween—_something_ along these lines had to be at least attempted."

"More than attempted, I'd say," Gilan commented with a smile, finally managing to stand with the others. "Will, you're just so much fun to pick on."

"Okay, okay, I'll give you guys this," Will conceded with a grin of his own. They shared a very small moment of companionable silence before Will frowned.

"One question, though: who was licking my hand?"

Horace gave a snort of laughter. "That would be Gil."

Giving a little wave, Gilan laughed and said, "Guilty!"

_Finis_

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**A/N:** Okay, this time, it actually _is_ complete. What did you guys think? Tell me in a review!


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